Chapter 230: Sinner Containment

"Boom—"

Amidst the deafening explosion, the red crystal shattered completely, countless fragments flying in all directions.

A wave of abyss energy, thick enough to be almost substantial, gushed out from the broken crystal.

Like a demon imprisoned for a thousand years finally breaking free from its shackles, it spread in all directions with endless resentment and violence.

Sheng Pan staggered back several steps under the impact of this energy, feeling a wave of dizziness even with the "Apostle Power" protecting his body.

But soon, he adjusted his state, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"Perfect... the power of the abyss has finally been released."

Space was torn, reality was distorted, and the boundary between the abyss and the surface world became blurred at this moment.

"The first step of the mission has been completed."

Sheng Pan turned and looked at Suo Lun, who had fallen to the ground, a cruel smile rising at the corners of his mouth.

"Goodbye, Morning Star wizard. I hope you can find eternal peace in the embrace of the abyss."

After saying this, he spread those deformed wing membranes and rushed toward the exit of the altar.

He had to leave here as soon as possible and find the next target—that Luo En Ralph who had just become a formal wizard.

Inside the Bloodline Altar, the abyss energy was still surging wildly.

The originally orderly space began to collapse, the twelve crystal pillars fell one after another, and the entire area fell into unprecedented chaos...

………………

Suo Lun lay on the cold ground, his consciousness floating in the darkness.

The pain in his chest had become numb, and blood continued to flow from the huge wound, soaking the ground beneath him.

A body without a heart should theoretically die immediately.

But as a Morning Star wizard who had completed the transformation, Suo Lun's vitality far exceeded that of ordinary life forms.

Even under such fatal injury, he still managed to maintain his last shred of consciousness by relying on the residual magic power in his body.

"Failed..."

His thoughts were intermittent, like a broken mirror, only able to reflect fragments of reality.

The pollution of the abyss was spreading along his blood, invading every one of his cells, eroding his spiritual world.

That was an unprecedented fall and corruption, as if countless ants were gnawing at his soul.

"Hayek... Youni... sorry..."

Suo Lun knew that he could no longer send a warning to the outside world.

The first attack of abyss pollution was to cut off the wizard's magic connection, making it impossible for them to conduct any form of long-distance communication.

In the final moments of his life, scenes of memory surged like a tide:

Himself as a teenager, standing under the glorious arch of the Crystal Spire, his eyes filled with longing for knowledge and power;

Himself in his youth, sweating through countless experiments, just to stand out among his peers;

Himself after reaching adulthood, finally receiving a private invitation from the school mentor, being told that he was "promising" and "worth cultivating"...

"Contract... the damn soul contract..."

Suo Lun gritted his teeth, recalling that turning point of fate.

When the mentor of the Crystal Spire personally proposed an external mission to him, he was so proud, thinking he had finally been noticed by the high echelons.

At that time, he signed his name on the contract with full joy.

Only when the crystal mark was branded on his soul did he understand the truth—that was not a simple external mission, but a disguised "exile."

Those Morning Star wizards who were gifted but not special enough were the perfect pawns for the Crystal Spire.

Being sent to various branch schools to serve as mentors, on the surface it was granting heavy responsibilities, but in reality, they were tools viewed by those stronger as expendable.

The content of the contract was very clear:

Must not betray the school's interests, must not leak the Crystal Spire's secrets.

More importantly, must protect the core facilities of the school where they were stationed at all costs, including but not limited to the Bloodline Altar.

Otherwise, even in death, the soul would be reclaimed by the Crystal Spire.

Thrown into the "Sinner Containment Repository," continuously burned by hellfire, and finally refined into various alchemical items.

He had witnessed the production process of those gargoyle aircraft—those once-proud wizard souls, refined into energy cores for eternal slavery.

Consciousness forever in a semi-awake state, feeling endless pain but unable to break free.

Whenever he saw the painful light flickering in the eyes of the gargoyles Wa Lun rode, Suo Lun would involuntarily shudder.

"No, I can't give up yet..."

Suo Lun struggled, not out of any noble sense of mission or loyalty to the school, but out of naked fear of the contract's punishment.

Compared to complete death, the fate of being eternally tortured was even more terrifying to him.

Just as his consciousness was on the verge of completely dissipating, a wave of warm and pure energy was triggered.

That energy was as pure as a clear spring, and wherever it flowed, the pollution was cleared away bit by bit, and the scars on his soul were gently smoothed out.

"However... I still have hope." Suo Lun's consciousness suddenly cleared up a bit:

"The favor that child Luo En fed back a few days ago, fortunately, it was preserved..."

This power gave him his last hope.

Taking advantage of the brief moment of mental clarity, he laboriously reached his hand toward the storage bag at his waist.

From it, he took out a bright red crystal—"Heart's Tear," a precious alchemical item capable of temporarily replacing heart function.

He tremblingly stuffed the crystal into the large hole in his chest.

Feeling that cold crystal gradually warm up, merging with the surrounding flesh, forming a temporary "replacement heart."

"It actually... really works." Suo Lun felt a faint vitality flowing in his body again.

It was a bizarre feeling—without his own heart, yet still alive.

He knew that this state could not last long; "Heart's Tear" could maintain it for at most three days, and as time passed, the effect would gradually weaken.

He struggled to take out several bottles of magic potion from his storage bag, pouring them into his mouth one by one.

"Life Spring Water," "Mental Stabilizer," "Flesh Regeneration Fluid"...

These precious magic potions, usually treasured, all came in handy at this moment.

The liquid medicine took effect in his body, the wound began to heal slowly, the lost blood was partially replenished, and his spirit became more stable.

"Must... warn Hayek..."

Even in this critical moment, Suo Lun still did not forget the shackles of the contract.

He tremblingly constructed his exclusive identity rune.

A wisp of weak magic power was released from his fingertips, forming an invisible communication line, pointing directly in the direction where Hayek was.

"Bloodline Altar... Awakened one destroyed the seal... Supreme Apostle leaked..."

Intermittent messages were being transmitted through the magic line.

Suo Lun only hoped that these fragmented messages were enough for Hayek to understand the severity of the situation.

After sending the warning, Suo Lun had exhausted the little weak power he had recovered.

He fell to the ground again, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"From apprentice to wizard... how much have I experienced, how much have I paid..."

Suo Lun smiled bitterly: "In the end, I am still a pawn in someone else's hands."

He recalled those days bound by the contract.

In the past, he had also tried to resist countless times, but every attempt would bring heart-wrenching pain from the contract brand on his soul.

That feeling of being forced to obey was more painful than death.

And what was even more pathetic was that he still had to be grateful for the "gift" of the Crystal Spire.

At least he had lived to this day, becoming a respected Morning Star wizard.

Instead of dying silently in some mission or failed experiment like most apprentices of the same period, without even his name being remembered.

This was the cruel reality of the wizard world—the strong make the rules, and the weak can only obey.

Even a Morning Star wizard who was already strong enough like Suo Lun, in front of a truly large force, was still just a pawn that could be sacrificed at any time.

"But now I must make a final effort."

Suo Lun endured the severe pain and began to crawl toward the nearest crystal pillar.

The Bloodline Altar was already on the verge of collapse; if action was not taken as soon as possible, the leakage of abyss energy would lead to the complete collapse of the entire school.

By then, even if he survived by luck, the punishment of the contract would arrive as scheduled.

Every step he moved, the wound on his chest would tear a bit more, and blood would continue to gush out.

"Just a few... more steps."

After a long and painful crawl, he finally arrived at the base of the crystal pillar.

This crystal pillar was one of the key nodes of the entire sealing array; if it could be reinforced, it could at least slow down the leakage speed of the abyss energy.

Suo Lun tremblingly placed his hands on the base of the crystal pillar, beginning to input his only remaining magic power.

"With my blood, with my soul, temporarily slow down your collapse."

Runes flowed from his fingertips, winding around the surface of the crystal pillar, forming a temporary reinforcement network.

With the injection of magic power, the shaking of the crystal pillar gradually weakened, and the light became slightly brighter.

The leakage speed of the abyss energy slowed down significantly, and the distortion of space also tended to stabilize.

"Black Fog School... I'm afraid it will be difficult to continue for long in this disaster."

Once the abyss energy connects with the main world, it will trigger a series of irreversible changes.

Space rules are distorted, reality structure is eroded, ecosystems are polluted—these are all severe challenges facing the school.

"Bloodline Altar... completely ruined."

This facility, which was once one of the school's most important assets, has now become a hotbed for abyss power.

Even if the seal can be re-established later, the bloodline energy within it has already been polluted by the abyss and is no longer suitable for any form of bloodline enhancement ritual.

"Bound by the contract all my life, still the same before death." Suo Lun coughed up a mouthful of blood and smiled bitterly:

"Damn soul contract... the true shackles of the wizard world."

Precisely because of this, Hayek and Youni gave Luo En subtle reminders.

As high-level school officials, they certainly could not directly violate the contract to give explicit warnings, but at least they tried to give some hints to that young man with a promising future.

"Luo En... I hope you can... go further."

Suo Lun muttered to himself, a flash of unwillingness in his eyes: "Don't... repeat my mistakes... don't become someone else's pawn."

His thoughts drifted again to that young wizard who had just advanced.

If it weren't for the pure favor from Luo En, he might have already completely lost consciousness under the abyss pollution, becoming a walking corpse.

"Thank you, young man."

With this gratitude, Suo Lun closed his eyes and began to concentrate on repairing the injuries in his body.

"Heart's Tear" could only maintain it for a limited time; he had to recover to a state where he could move independently as soon as possible.

He didn't know what Sheng Pan's next target was, but one thing was certain—that crazy abyss apostle would not stop there.

"I hope Hayek, Youni, and Ailan... can react in time."

Suo Lun's consciousness became blurred again, but this time it was not because of the approach of death, but because he had actively entered a special meditation state for automatic healing.

In this state, his body functions were reduced to the minimum, and all energy was concentrated on the repair of injuries.

And around him, the abyss energy of the Bloodline Altar was still slowly but unstoppably spreading outward, only the speed was slowed down due to his intervention...

………………

A thin mist permeated the Black Fog Jungle in the early morning, covering everything with a mysterious veil.

At this time, Luo En had already left the Central Tower and was on his way to Lady Ailan's herb shop.

The first feeling after becoming a formal wizard was that the clarity of the surrounding world had taken a qualitative leap.

Every wisp of breeze, every light tremor of a leaf, and even the dust invisible to the naked eye in the air, could be clearly perceived by him.

Even more amazing was that he could now directly feel the flow of magic power in the environment.

Those energy lines that required special spells or items to observe during his apprenticeship were now as visible as clear springs in his eyes.

"The world of formal wizards, it turns out to be so gorgeous."

Luo En whispered to himself, a sense of indescribable satisfaction rising in his heart.

Just then, an abnormal energy fluctuation suddenly came from afar, interrupting his thoughts.

It was a chaotic and violent energy, with obvious abyss characteristics.

Like a silent scream, it pierced into his perception field.

"This kind of energy fluctuation..."

Luo En stopped abruptly, his brows furrowed.

Relying on the keen perception brought by the Hunter Knight and the advanced wizard status.

He could almost be certain that this energy came from the peripheral area of the school, very likely in the direction of the Bloodline Altar.

"Strange, the altar was just reinforced by Wa Lun not long ago..."

Luo En pondered secretly, the magic power in his body flowing unconsciously, preparing for possible danger.

Since advancing to a formal wizard, his perception of abyss energy had become clearer.

The fluctuation before him carried an unsettling aggressiveness, not like a natural leak, but rather like it was artificially released.

"Something is wrong with the Bloodline Altar."

At this moment, he was already very close to Lady Ailan's herb shop, and Luo En decided to meet with her first; two wizards together would always be better.

The door of the herb shop was open, as if waiting for his arrival.

Just stepping over the threshold, a familiar herbal fragrance rushed toward him, dispelling some of the worry in his heart.

"Congratulations, Formal Wizard Luo En Ralph."

Lady Ailan's voice came from the inner room, carrying a rare warmth.

She walked out slowly, those emerald eyes fixed on Luo En, her gaze revealing rare relief and satisfaction.

"My lady." Luo En bowed slightly, greeting her with the etiquette between wizards.

Although he had already advanced to a wizard, the other party was, after all, the mentor who had always led his growth, and this basic etiquette could not be lost.

Lady Ailan looked him up and down and nodded with satisfaction:

"The path of true essence, the success rate is only half even with auxiliary magic potions, yet you walked through it; it seems my judgment was not wrong."

She wore a faint smile on her face, her tone filled with both admiration and a kind of indescribable nostalgia:

"I once walked very close to it too... just one step away. Now you have completed the path I failed to complete."

Luo En could feel the sincere joy in her words.

Not only because he had achieved success, but also because she saw that the path she once pursued was proven feasible.

"Everything is thanks to your guidance."

He said sincerely:

"If it weren't for the 'Star Dew Morning Glow' and the key information about the path of true essence you provided, I could not have succeeded; no, I might not even have known there was such a path."

"No, Luo En, this is entirely your own achievement."

Lady Ailan shook her head gently:

"I just pointed out a path, and you are the one who walked it. Even with more help, without your own talent and that kind of crazy determination, the path of true essence would still be a dead end."

Her gaze became profound, as if recalling some distant past:

"Many geniuses have fallen on this path, but you succeeded. So, what are your plans next?"

Luo En took a deep breath, a firm light flashing in his eyes:

"I plan to handle the affairs of the kingdom first, and then head to the Central Land to pursue a higher level of wizard path."

Lady Ailan nodded with satisfaction:

"A wise choice. You have extraordinary talent, and the Central Land will provide you with a broader stage and richer resources. Just..."

Her gaze became sharp:

"Remember, the rarer something is, the more it will attract covetousness. The purity of your favor is so high that I fear it will attract the attention of many truly powerful people."

Luo En nodded thoughtfully: "I will act with caution."

Just then, he suddenly remembered the abyss energy fluctuation he had perceived earlier:

"By the way, my lady, I perceived an abnormal abyss energy on the way here, which seems to come from the direction of the Bloodline Altar. Have you noticed anything?"

Lady Ailan's expression turned solemn instantly:

"There are indeed some abnormalities; I was just about to activate the protective array that completely isolates the outside world, but sensing your arrival, I decided to wait for you for a while."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 231 =====